Automatic cocks for taking saturated or unsaturated liquids



NOV. 3, 1964 E, Hl 3,155,126

AUTOMATIC COCKS FOR TAKING SATRATED 0Rl UNSATURATED LIQUIDS Amm a Nov. 3, 1964 L. E. l-u 3,155,126

AUTOMATIC COCKS FOR TAKING SATURATED OR UNSATURATED LIQUIDS Filed Feb. 6. 1961 4 sheets-sheet 2 Ahr-hey;

L.. E. Hl 3,155,126 AUTOMATIC cocks FOR TAKING SATURATED 0R UNSATURATED LIQUIDS 4 sheets-sheet s Nov. 3, 1964 Filed Feb. 6, 1961 3 G. @L H @n Nov. 3, 1964 L. E. HI

Filed Feb. 6. 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 United States Patent O 3,155,126 AUTGMATIC CCKS FOR TAKING SATURATED R UNSATURATED LIQUIDS Louis Emile Hi, Paris, Seine, France, assigner to Societe Anonyme de Construction de Materiel dAlirnentation, Paris, France, a corporation of France Filed Feb. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 87,453 Claims priority, application France, Feb. 8, 1960, 817,870, Patent 1,256,564 10 Claims. (Ci. 141-50) This invention relates to an automatic cock for bottling saturated or unsaturated liquids, notably beverages.

It is the essential feature of this invention to eliminate partially or totally the control of the various operating cycles such as opening, delivery, closing cycles, the cock being controlled by the bottle itself and the latter centered positively by a bell-shaped member.

Other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds with reference to the attached drawings illustrating diagrammatically by way of example a typical embodiment of the automatic bottling cock of this invention in its different operative positions. In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a vertical axial section showing the cock n its closed position, prior to its engagement by a bottle to be filled;

FIGURE 2 illustrates the same cock positioned for pressurizing the bottle;

FIGURE 3 illustrates the cock during the bottle filling operation, and Y FiGURE 4 illustrates the bottle and cock assembly at the end of the cycle.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the automatic cock of this invention comprises essentially:

(l) A body 14 fixed in relation to the bottom of mounting plate 15 of the tank or filling machine, this body 14 engaging with a fianged portion a bore formed in this bottom plate 15; the joint between the -body 14 and plate 15 is sealed by a gasket 29; under the flanged portion the body is engaged by a tubular socket 13, and a nut-forming collar 11 is screwed on the lower, threaded end of the body 14. The assembly comprising the fixed members 11, 13 and 14 is tightly fastened on the plate 15 of the filling machine by known locking meansrcomprising a fork 30 engaging a circular groove formed on the body 14, as shown in FIGURE 1.

(2) A first movable assembly comprising a tubular base 6, a sleeve 12, a head 19, a bottom 19 formed integrally with the head 19, this assembly being movable as a unit. The sleeve 12 carries an external flange or washer 17 normally bearing, in the inoperative position shown in FIG. l, on the bottom or mounting plate 15 of the tank or filling machine.

The tubular base 6 lying within the socket 13 is solid with the sleeve 12 sliding in a bore formed in the collar 11 and body 14, and the ange or washer 17 solid with this sleeve 12 com-prises a forked portion engaging the lower portion of a substantially Vertical rod 28 supported by and slidably engaging the body 14. The sleeve 12 is formed with lateral orifices 17 through which the liquid iilling the tank. consisting of the space overlying the bottom plate 15 can penetrate into this sleeve 12.

The tubular base 6 is formed with a lateral, radial chamber 61 in which a release or Venting valve is mounted; this valve comprises a valve member 34 having a push-rod or shank 33 extending with a certain play through a cap 31 and is constantly urged to its closed position by a spring 35. An orifice 351 connects the outlet aperture 62 of the tubular base 6 with the valve chamber 61 and permits the gradual restoring of the atmospheric pressure in the bottle neck at the end of the cycle, when the 3,155,126 Patented Nov. 3, 1964 ICC cam face 32 formed internally of the socket 13 engages the push-rod 33-of valve 34; under these conditions, the gas accumulated in the .bottle escapes through the orifice 351, chamber 61, open valve 34 and clearance between the push-rod 33 and the orifice formed through the cap 31.

This first movable assembly is constantly urged downwards by a relatively strong spring 8, and it will be seen that the action of this spring is assisted by the liquid pressure prevailing in the tank.

A packing 16 seals the sliding joint between the sleeve 12 and the fixed body 14.

(3) Another movable assembly comprising4 a pipe 3 screwed in a fitting 10 carrying a grid 101 at its top.

This fitting 10 is solid in turn with an upper pipe 24 of which the upper end opens into the gaseous atmosphere of the tank, that is, above the liquid level therein.

The pipe 3 carries a defiector 4 of flexible material, and the fitting 10 has screwed thereon a member 5 carrying a valve 7 for controlling the delivery of the liquid.

The -upper pipe 24 is solid with a rotation and lifting preventing member 18 formed with a stud 181 engaging an eccentric hole 182 formed through the head 19, and comprises a spring ring 22 for locking a washer 21 against upward axial movement.

Slidably fitted on the tubular shank of fitting 10 is a valve member 9 for stopping the delivery of liquid at the end of the filling operation; this valve member consists of a material having a specific gravity inferior to 1, or may be urged upwards by a spring bearing on the member 5, not shown, so that at the end of its permissible upward movement this valve member 9 will engage the grid 101 and close its orifices.

The pipes 3 and 2 4 constitute an assembly moving as a solid unit since the two tubes are interconnected through the fitting 1l). Furthermore, it will be seen that, when the cock is closed, the valve member 7 engages a seat 71 `formed internally of the tubular base 6.

A spring 20 of adequate force is mounted on the pipe 24 and bears with one end against the bottom 19 of head 19 and with the other end against the vwasher 21 retained on the pipe 24 by the spring ring 22 as already explained.

(4) An air valve comprising a tubular member 23 having a seat-forming bottom 25 engaging in the closed position of the cock the upper end of pipe 24.

(5) A reduction lever comprising the vertical rod 28 carried bythe body 14, and a lever proper 26 pivoted on the upper end of rod 28 about a pin 27. This lever 26 has a forked portion surrounding the pipe 24 and adapted to engage'the tubular member 23 of the air valve from beneath.

(6) A bottle-centering bell-shaped member 1 properly guided by adequate means (not shown) during its upward movement.

The automatic cock described hereinabove operates as follows:

The stroke figures given hereafter are given by way of example only and should not be construed as limiting the invention. FIGURE 1 shows the automatic cock in its closed position, with the centering bell-shaped member 1 in its lowermost position and the air valve 25 and liquid valve7 seated.

FIGURE 2 illustrates the bottle in its pressurizing position. During its upward movement, it has lifted through the medium of the bell-shaped centering member 1 the first movable assembly comprising the base 6 solid with the head 19. Thus, the headl 19 has engaged the reduction lever 26 and the latter has lifted in turn the tubular air valve 23 so that, assuming a 9-millimeter upward stroke of the first movable assembly 6, the air valve has been movedf 15k millimeters upwards.

In this position, the air from above the liquid level in the tank penetrates into the bottle through the pressurizing pipes 24, 3, and the orifices 2 at the lower end of this pipe.

In the preceding phase (FIG. 2), the gas under pressure of the tank passes through tube 24-3 and iills the bottle.

rThe closure member 25 of the pneumatic flap valve being raised, the force which it applies downward on the `tube 24 is eliminated, but the pressing force transmitted by the liquid and acting on the closure member 7 remains.

It is clear that this pressing force is substantially proportional with the difference in the gaseous pressures existing respectively in the reservoir and in the bottle.

As long as this difference remains greater tha-n a certain minimum value, the opposing force of the spring 20 cannot raise the tube 24. When this value is reached by the gas within the bottle, the spring 20 expands raising the tube 24 with respect to the tube 12 and opens the liquid iiap valve 7; the cock closes then in the phase of FIGURE 3.

The movement of the valve member 7 away from its seat 71 is limited by the relative engagement of members 19 and 1S. This lift, for example of 3 millimeter, will still provide a 3-millimeter passage for the air returning from the bottle at the upper end of the air valve 25.

During the filling operation, the air is exhausted from the bottle in 4the direction opposite to the pressurizing direction.

When the liquid has filled the bottle up to the level of the orifices 2 of tube 3, the flow is stopped and the reduction in the velocity 'of flow of the pets of liquid passing through the grid lill and around the valve 7 enables the float forming valve member 9 to rise and thus close the orifices of this grid itil, thus preventing the air from lescaping from the bottle neck and stabilizing the filling eve FIGURE. 4 illustrates the automatic cock at the end of the cycle.

During the downward movement of the first movable assembly comprising the tubular base 6 (this movement taking place when the bottle is lowered), the following successive operations take place:

The air valve 2S cioses due to the reverse movement of reduction lever 26, the tubular member 23 is lowered, and pipe 24 is closed by valve 25.

As it continues its downward movement, the reduction lever 26 enables the tubular member 23, by gravity, to lower the pipe 24 and the latter will thus close the liquidiiow control valve 7, the weight of this valve assembly exceeding the upward thrust of spring 2i).

During this downward movement, the bottleneck is gradually restored to the atmospheric pressure due to the operative engagement occurring between the push-rod 33 and cam face 32 so as to open the valve 34; thus the aperture 62 of the base 6 communicates with the external atmosphere through the orifice 351.

'Ille last step consists in releasing the bottle from the coc During these different movements, the first movable assembly 6, 12, 19, 191 cannot revolve about its axis, as the forked member 17 is guided by the support 28.

By changing the lower pipe 3 different filling levels may be obtained at will. This pipe can be removed, by unscrewing it, the fitting 10 being held against rotation by the member 13, 181 preventingthe rotational and lifting movements of lthe assembly.

In case of accidental bursting or breakage of a bottle during the filling operation, the internal pressure of the liquid in the tank reseats the valve 7, thus precluding any loss of liquid, except what has already been dispensed to the bottle.

I claim:

l. Bottle lling device for ythe automatic bottling of liquids under gaseous pressure from a tank supplied simultaneously with liquid at a level maintained between certain limits and with gas under pressure, the device comprising the tank, a cylindrical body iixed vertically under the tank, a first movable tubular element sliding in a sealed manner in an axial bore of the cylindrical body relaltively to which it is moved downwards by elastic means, the upper part `of which communicates with the liquid in the tank and an annular base at the lower part, a second movable tubular element guided coaxially in the first and relatively to which it is moved upwards by elastic means, the upper end of which is situated in the gaseous atmosphere 'of the tank and the lower end of which passes underneath the base of the first movable element wall of the annular base of the first movable element and its closure integrally connec-ted with the second movable element, an auxiliary liquid valve co-operating with the main valve and situated above it, having for its downwardly directed seat an annular perforated member fixed around the second movable element and sliding in the first, and having a ring as a closure, said ring being of light material and being movable upwardly by a weak restoring force, a tirst gas valve controlling the passage of gas from the tank through the second movable tubular element, the seat of said first gas valve being formed by the upper aperture of the second element and a fitting carrying the closure of the valve and capable of being lifted by the upward movement of the first element, a second gas valve placed radially in the base of the first element, a push rod, a cam integrally connected to the cylindrical body and operating the cam Ato connect the inltermal space of the base with the atmosphere, an annular vertically movable socket passing through the lower part 'of the second movable element having an upper end and a lower end, an annular elastic joint near the upper end and fitted into the socket and pushed under the base of the first movable element during refilling of a bottle, a rubber snout near the lower end against which the edge of the bottle fits, this single fitting having the effect of releasing combined ver-tical displacements of the movable tubular elements, suitable stops limiting these movements and producing successively the opening of the first gas valve and the opening of the liquid valve, the removal of lthe bottle having the effect of successively, closing these valves and decompressing the gaseous atmosphere of the bottle by the second gas valve.

2. Device according to claim l, wherein a vertical rod is xed to the cylindrical body in the tank at the side of the part of the first movable tubular element which passes through the tank and which engages in a cavity of a fiange integrally connected with the first movable element and serves to guide the latter in a sliding movement, to prevent it from turning.

3. Device according to claim 2, wherein a lever is articulated to the end of the vertical rod and serves to amplify the vertical displacement transmitted by the first movable tubular element to lthe fitting carrying the seating of the gas valve.

4. Device according to claim 2, wherein a slidable guide device maintains the second movable tubular element in a fixed angular position relative to the iirst movable tubular element.

5.. Device according to claim 4, wherein the second movable tubular element is in two parts connected together at the level of the closure of the main liquid valve, the lower par-t being detachable and screwed into fthe iirst so that its length can be changed to the requirements of fthe particular filling operation.

6. Device according to claim l, wherein the lower part of the second movable tubular element is equipped with a defleotor which directs the liow of liquid on to the Walls of the bottle during filling.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the restoring force pushing the annular closure of the auxiliary liquid valve upwardly is the liquid buoyant force acting 'on this valve closure immersed in the liquid.

8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the fitting of the movable seat of the rst gas valve is returned to its seat by gravity.

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein the base of the cylindrical body is in the forrn of an inverted bowl, the border of which is re-entrant and forms the cam operating the pushrod of the second gas Valve.

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the cylindrical b'ody is detachably xed under the 'tank by sliding of References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,485,190 Clarke Oct. 18, 1949 2,796,892 Meyer June 25, 1957 2,813,555 Fox etal Nov. 19, 1957 2,847,043 Sommers Aug. 12, 1958 2,896,674 Day et al July 28, 1959 

1. BOTTLE FILLING DEVICE FOR THE AUTOMATIC BOTTLING OF LIQUIDS UNDER GASEOUS PRESSURE FROM A TANK SUPPLIED SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH LIQUID AT A LEVEL MAINTAINED BETWEEN CERTAIN LIMITS AND WITH GAS UNDER PRESSURE, THE DEVICE COMPRISING THE TANK, A CYLINDRICAL BODY FIXED VERTICALLY UNDER THE TANK, A FIRST MOVABLE TUBULAR ELEMENT SLIDING IN A SEALED MANNER IN AN AXIAL BORE OF THE CYLINDRICAL BODY RELATIVELY TO WHICH IT IS MOVED DOWNWARDS BY ELASTIC MEANS, THE UPPER PART OF WHICH COMMUNICATES WITH THE LIQUID IN THE TANK AND AN ANNULAR BASE AT THE LOWER PART, A SECOND MOVABLE TUBULAR ELEMENT GUIDED COAXIALLY IN THE FIRST AND RELATIVELY TO WHICH IT IS MOVED UPWARDS BY ELASTIC MEANS, THE UPPER END OF WHICH IS SITUATED IN THE GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE OF THE TANK AND THE LOWER END OF WHICH PASSES UNDERNEATH THE BASE OF THE FIRST MOVABLE ELEMENT AND IS PROVIDED WITH LATERAL APERTURES, A MAIN LIQUID VALVE CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF LIQUID BETWEEN THE TWO MOVABLE TUBULAR ELEMENTS, THE VALVE HAVING ITS SEAT ORIENTED UPWARDS AND FORMED BY A RECESS IN THE INTERNAL WALL OF THE ANNULAR BASE OF THE FIRST MOVABLE ELEMENT AND ITS CLOSURE INTEGRALLY CONNECTED WITH THE SECOND MOVABLE ELEMENT, AN AUXILIARY LIQUID VALVE CO-OPERATING WITH THE MAIN VALVE AND SITUATED ABOVE IT, HAVING FOR ITS DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED SEAT AN ANNULAR PERFORATED MEMBER FIXED AROUND THE SECOND MOVABLE ELEMENT AND SLIDING IN THE FIRST, AND HAVING A RING AS A CLOSURE, SAID RING BEING OF LIGHT MATERIAL AND BEING MOVABLE UPWARDLY BY A WEAK RESTORING FORCE, A FIRST GAS VALVE CONTROLLING THE PASSAGE OF GAS FROM THE TANK THROUGH THE SECOND MOVABLE TUBULAR ELEMENT, THE SEAT OF SAID FIRST GAS VALVE BEING FORMED BY THE UPPER APERTURE OF THE SECOND ELEMENT AND A FITTING CARRYING THE CLOSURE OF THE VALVE AND CAPABLE OF BEING LIFTED BY THE UPWARD MOVEMENT OF THE FIRST ELEMENT, A SECOND GAS VALVE PLACED RADIALLY IN THE BASE OF THE FIRST ELEMENT, A PUSH ROD, A CAM INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO THE CYLINDRICAL BODY AND OPERATING THE CAM TO CONNECT THE INTERNAL SPACE OF THE BASE WITH THE ATMOSPHERE, AN ANNULAR VERTICALLY MOVABLE SOCKET PASSING THROUGH THE LOWER PART OF THE SECOND MOVABLE ELEMENT HAVING AN UPPER END AND A LOWER END, AN ANNULAR ELASTIC JOINT NEAR THE UPPER END AND FITTED INTO THE SOCKET AND PUSHED UNDER THE BASE OF THE FIRST MOVABLE ELEMENT DURING REFILLING OF A BOTTLE, A RUBBER SNOUT NEAR THE LOWER END AGAINST WHICH THE EDGE OF THE BOTTLE FITS, THIS SINGLE FITTING HAVING THE EFFECT OF RELEASING COMBINED VERTICAL DISPLACEMENTS OF THE MOVABLE TUBULAR ELEMENTS, SUITABLE STOPS LIMITING THESE MOVEMENTS AND PRODUCING SUCCESSIVELY THE OPENING OF THE FIRST GAS VALVE AND THE OPENING OF THE LIQUID VALVE, THE REMOVAL OF THE BOTTLE HAVING THE EFFECT OF SUCCESSIVELY CLOSING THESE VALVES AND DECOMPRESSING THE GASEOUS ATMOSPHERE OF THE BOTTLE BY THE SECOND GAS VALVE. 